Wednesday, December 05, 2012

"And.. Of Course.. World Peace..."

Today, in the New York Times, is an open letter from a bunch of old Security Administration Types from days gone by - both Republican and Democrat. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Madeleine Albright, Robert Gates, Sam Nunn, Samuel Berger, Henry Kissinger and on and on... It's from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (LINK HERE).
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I will post it below, but it is rather... bland. In the interest of offending no one, it offers no ideas other than a "we can do it" spirit and the tiniest dose of "you CAN cut defenses spending a little". Other than that, it is the political equivalent of Miss USA's Answer to "If you could have one wish, what would it be?" "Why, World Peace."
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And just about as obtainable....
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blah blah blah...
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I think it would have to be .....World Peace, Billy.

We
are former senior government officials who have served during eight
Presidential administrations, Democratic and Republican, and former leaders in
Congress from both parties. We join together now because we strongly believe
that our long-term debt is the single greatest threat to our national security,
and we urge elected leaders to agree by the end of this year on a plan that
both averts the fiscal cliff and puts the debt on a downward path.

U.S.
national security in the 21st century rests on both economic and military
strength, for our military might and diplomatic muscle ultimately depend on a
vibrant economy. Unless we change course, our huge and growing debt will
undermine our economic growth, our military strength, and our global
leadership.

Our
leaders should use the consensus against going over the fiscal cliff as an
opportunity to agree now on a framework for significant fiscal reform in 2013.
Another "kicking of the can" — the lowest common denominator of what
both parties can currently accept, without any structural reforms that truly
address the nation's problems — is not acceptable. We must reassure our own
citizens and businesses, the international financial markets, and the greater
global community that America will address its fundamental challenges and
maintain its leadership role in the world.

At
a minimum, the resolution of the fiscal cliff by the end of the year should
have the following components:

The Objective: Our fiscal goal must be to stabilize the debt as a
share of the economy, and put it on a downward path for the longer term. We
cannot continue to grow our national debt faster than our economy if we want to
maintain our global leadership. Any solution which does not meet this simple
test is insufficient.

The Framework: To achieve this objective, our leaders should decide
on a fiscal framework that results in substantial deficit reduction over the
next 10 years and structural changes to our fiscal policies that eventually
balance the budget over the long term, including:

·Specific levels of revenue, spending and deficits over
the next 10 years, and parameters for longer-term fiscal reform, including
future levels of debt as a share of the economy, and a date by which the budget
must balance.

·Tax reforms to raise more revenues, encourage growth
and enhance progressivity — and it must be decided how much should be done
through eliminating deductions, increasing rates and/or more fundamental
changes to our tax code.

·Changes to entitlements to put them on a sustainable
long-term path, as well as changes to defense and other discretionary spending,
while protecting the most vulnerable and preserving sufficient resources to
invest in the future.

oIn our judgment,
advances in technological capabilities and the changing nature of threats make
it possible, if properly done, to spend less on a more intelligent, efficient
and contemporary defense strategy that maintains our military superiority and
national security.

The Process: Congress and the President should agree on an
expedited process to enact legislation reflecting this framework in 2013,
including appropriate default and enforcement mechanisms that ensure we will
achieve the targeted result.

In
a time of division and drift, the true test for America is neither military nor
economic — it is political. We ask our elected officials from both parties to
assert genuine leadership, communicate to the American people what needs to be
done, and make pragmatic policy decisions to power our nation’s economy,
democracy, and role in the world. It will require courage, shared sacrifice and
a willingness to compromise and make the tough choices essential to setting a
new course for our nation. It summons the truest form of patriotism — putting
our country first.